Beneil Dariush recognizes the dangers of fighting in hostile territory.
The ninth ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight battles fifth ranked Edson Barboza on March 11. The two will be featured in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 106. The action takes place inside the Centro de Formacao Olimpica do Nordeste in Fortaleza, Brazil.
In his last bout, Dariush handed Rashid Magomedov his first loss inside the Octagon. Dariush took a unanimous decision victory. In the fight prior, Dariush gave James Vick the first loss of his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career. He knocked out “The Texecutioner” in the first round.
Dariush faces the biggest challenge of his career against Barboza. To get past Barboza, he’ll need to do so in his opponent’s hometown. Dariush admits he’s a little worried about favoritism with the judges. Be that as it may, he’s still prepared to throw leather (via MMAJunkie.com):
“That does make me nervous, but I guess I’ll have to fight harder. It’s not like the American judges are going to favor me, but at least I know they’re not going to favor him either. I prefer to fight at home and be comfortable. But I don’t mind. This will be my third trip to Brazil. But it’s a lot easier when it’s at home, when you know you’re going to be able to go to Whole Foods.”
